Jerf al-Ahmar

Jerf al-Ahmar is a Neolithic excavation site in Aleppo Governorate with over 40 preserved houses showing architectural evolution from circular to rectangular shapes spanning more than 11,000 years. The remains reveal multiple settlements built on top of one another from different periods.

The settlement developed between 9600 and 8500 BC and was rebuilt several times before disappearing beneath Lake Assad in 1999. A dam project changed the fate of this archaeologically valuable place permanently.

The finds show early communities that grew grain and gathered in buildings with built-in seating. These discoveries reveal how the first farmers lived and worked together.

The site lies completely submerged beneath Lake Assad and is inaccessible to visitors. Those interested in the history can find information in nearby museums that display finds from the excavation.

Terracotta tablets found here bear symbols that predate the first written languages by five thousand years. These markings represent some of the earliest known attempts to record human thought.